The Old House is a historic home on State Route 25 in

Cutchogue Cutchogue ( ) is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, New York (state), New York, United States, on the North Fork (Long Island), North Fork of Long Island's East End (Long Isla ...

Suffolk County, New York Suffolk County () is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of New York. It is mainly located on the eastern end of Long Island, but also includes several smaller islands. According to the 2020 United States census, the county's populatio ...

. It is "notable as one of the most distinguished surviving examples of English domestic architecture in America."

Architecture

The Old House is a two-story timber-frame structure measuring about , with a clapboarded exterior and gabled roof. Its main facade is on the south side, with a center entrance framed by a simple trim with a segmented-arch lintel. On either side of the door there are three-part casement windows on both the first and second floors. Three similar windows appear on the north (back) side of the house which are careful replicas of the original windows. The interior of the house is divided into four rooms, two on each floor. A large brick chimney separates the rooms on each floor and divides the attic in two. Narrow winding staircases on one side provide access to the upper levels. The ground-floor kitchen has a fireplace over long and deep. At some point (probably in the 18th century), that fireplace and the one in the main hall had smaller fireplaces built within them, with the excess covered by wooden paneling. It is likely that the walls that were not paneled at that time were finished in plaster.

History

Debate over origin

According to the results of a 2003

dendrochronology Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmos ...

study, the house was built ca. 1699. Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council, the owner of the house, commissioned a second dendrochronology study in July 2017 to verify the build date, with the same results. Prior to 2017 The Old House was thought to have been built by John Budd on land east of town near a pond that became known as Budd Pond. John Budd's daughter Anna and her husband Benjamin Horton were deeded a house in 1658 as a wedding present. They moved it to a location in the village of Cutchogue. Benjamin's brother John inherited the house and sold it to Joseph Wickham in 1699. These events and transactions are well documented.

Post 17th century

Parker Wickham Parker Wickham (February 28, 1727–May 22, 1785) was a Loyalist (American Revolution), Loyalist politician who was banished from the State of New York under dubious circumstances. Wickham was the oldest son of Joseph Wickham and Abigail Parker ...

(February 28, 1727 – May 22, 1785), famous for being a

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

politician during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

and who was banished from the

state of New York New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state ...

under dubious circumstances, owned and lived in the house. It was damaged by the

Hurricane of 1938 The 1938 New England Hurricane (also referred to as the Great New England Hurricane and the Long Island Express Hurricane) was one of the deadliest and most destructive tropical cyclones to strike Long Island, New York, and New England. The stor ...

which swept away surrounding trees, leaving it visible from the street and coming to public attention, restored in 1940, and restored again in 1968. and It was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1961. The house is located on the Cutchogue Village Green, along with the 1840 Old Schoolhouse, the 1704 Wickham Farmhouse, a barn, the Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library, a 19th-century carriage house, and the Old Burying Ground dating from 1717. The buildings are owned and maintained by the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council, which gives guided tours in the summer.

References

External links